CV NEWS FEED // A poll conducted by Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) found that a significant number of American Catholics support limiting immigration, with a plurality stating it should be “decreased.”
CARA conducted the poll last December but did not release the results until some seven months later.
The poll found that 43% of Catholic respondents think immigration should be decreased, 34% think it should be “kept at its present level,” and only 23% think it should be increased.
CARA noted that “[a]mong those most likely to say [immigration] should be decreased are Republicans (62%), those ages 55 and older (57%), and non-Hispanic white respondents (52%).”
Meanwhile, “[a]mong those most likely to think immigration should be increased are those ages 18 to 34 (36%), Hispanics (30%) and, those attending Mass less than weekly, but at least once a month (27%).”
The poll also asked Catholics: “On the whole, do you think immigration is a good thing or a bad thing for the country today?”
A majority – 57% – deemed immigration a “mixture of good and bad.” Twenty percent said it was a “good” thing, while an identical 20% said it was “bad.” Three percent had no opinion on the matter.
Again from CARA:
Among those most likely to believe immigration is a good thing for the country are Democrats (28%) and those ages 18 to 34 (27%). Those most likely to believe immigration is a bad thing for the country are Republicans (34%).
>> CATHOLIC BISHOPS OPPOSE IOWA IMMIGRATION LAW <<
The poll asked Catholics to indicate how migrants are affecting various matters.
The area in which the poll’s respondents were most likely to say immigrants were making the situation better was “food, music, and the arts.” Thirty-nine percent of respondents said immigrants were making these things better.
However, when it came to more serious issues such as taxes and crime, Catholic respondents overwhelmingly agreed immigrants were making the situation worse.
Fifty percent said that immigrants were worsening taxes.
“The crime situation” showed the largest discrepancy, with 56% of respondents saying immigrants worsen crime in the U.S. Only seven percent said migrants improve crime rates.
>> OKC ARCHBISHOP SLAMS ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BILL <<
Observers juxtaposed the poll’s results with the pro-immigration advocacy of many Catholic bishops in the U.S.
Breitbart noted that American Church leaders such as “Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, have repeatedly complained about Catholics’ growing pushback of migrants — including orthodox Muslims — into their homes.”
“Dolan understands the issue because his Catholic-affiliated groups help to fly, feed, and shelter migrants in Americans’ neighborhoods, despite the economic, pocketbook, housing, and criminal damage done to Americans,” Breitbart’s report stated.
